UPDATE: There will be a raffle. With a great top prize. [Log in to see the attached picture]UPDATE: Win a flight to Japan! SATURDAY UPDATE: The Omnium competition will begin at 13:30. Details of the competition will be revealed on the day.UPDATE: £60 cash for 1st place in the Dan Jam.UPDATE: Royal Kendama are going to livestream the BKO! Follow them on twitter (@RoyalKendama) and/or Bambuser, for live links to the stream.UPDATE: Table booked for Sunday night pizza!UPDATE: Sunday. Bit of a walk to cashpoints. So BRING CASH WITH YOU.UPDATE: Saturday. Could be showery. Bring a hat and coat! We'll dodge into coffee shops if needed.UPDATE: Monday chill-out in Castle Park (afternoon) and MoNKe & pub (evening). (See http://kendama.co.uk/monke ).

FAQ:Q. Do I have to buy a ticket?A. No, just turn up on the Sunday and pay for whichever divisions you wish to enter.

Q. Where shall I stay?A. Check out where the Social and Competition days are being held, and try to find a hotel or Air B & B nearby. Bristol isn't too large a city, so as long as you're not way on the outskirts, you'll probably be within 40 minutes' walk.

Q. I've never been to a competition before. Is it okay just to watch?A. Yes, certainly. But why not have a go at entering? Although the BKO is a "serious competition", we're a friendly crowd and everyone is encouraged to do their best. If you don't try, you'll never know if you like it or not. You might surprise yourself…

Q. Will you be doing gradings at the weekend?A. We will try to fit in some gradings first thing on Sunday. But we have time constraints to get everything done, so we can't promise. On Saturday, if the weather permits, we may have more time to do some gradings.

SATURDAY:We will meet in Queen's Square, between 12:30 and 14:30. We'll then move to Millenium Square Landing/Millenium Square for a change of scenery. We may move on to College Green later on. In the evening, we'll go for a meal at a nearby Indian restaurant.[1]UPDATE: The Omnium competition will begin at 13:30. Details of the competition will be revealed on the day.Click the map to enlarge.

Disallowed ModificationsAdding glue below the tip's slopeAltering the ball's (paint) surface in any waySharpening the spikeRe-building a bluntened spike with resin, or other substanceAdding any markings to the ken or ballRemoval of original sticker/sealMixing parts of different kendamasModifying the ken or dama in any way that alters the original design (other than through natural use)Excessive wearing-in. A judge may disallow a kendama if it has too many nicks or notches, which may provide an advantage for balance tricks.

Stained kens are not specifically mentioned, but would appear to come under "adding any markings". However, judges are also allowed to use their discretion, so if a judge felt that a stained ken did not give any advantage, and also had not affected how the surface of the wood might play/feel, then she may be inclined to allow it. It would definitely be on a case-by-case basis though, so the kendama in question would have to be seen and approved by the judge.

@KenSan I was just making sure that you get the concept right. It is a more personal stay, some people like it better, some don't. Also, the quality of the experience varies a lot, some people are amazing hosts while others just want some extra money and don't care.